Gene Ort

The disciples once asked Jesus: “Why do you speak to the people in stories, why not just say it plainly?” He told them.. The stories soften their hardened hearts and prepares them to hear and respond to the truth.

Be ready.. soft hearted.. listen closely

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Matthew 21:33 “Here’s another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip.34 When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.”

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A little musical score if you like..

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So… I am listening.. I love a good story…  ( good movie, etc. ) the scene opens to a lush colorful valley, deep green rolling hills, dotted with exploding bursts of red, orange and yellow flowering trees. It’s springtime in the vineyard. In the distance a man is working in the vineyard. As we move closer we see an older, stately man looking carefully at his vines and branches. He appears pleased with the progress. There is an obvious pride in the work that has been done. It was his own design, built with his own hands. He surveys the vast estate, bordered on all sides with a strong fence, protecting the vineyards from the little foxes and intruders that would destroy the vines. He inspects the winepress where the fruit will be processed and later barreled. He pauses to imagine the festive gatherings, weddings and celebrations where the wine is consumed and joy abounds. He ascends the watchtower where special care is given to oversee all that has and will be done. Satisfied at having made provision for every success, we see him climb aboard  a wagon and with a few words of final instruction he informs his caretakers that he will send some servants soon to collect the profits.  He and his family leave behind his life’s work, really, his pride and joy in the care of  his trusted farmhands which now are as near to him as his own family. He leaves on his quest with peace and confidence envisioning the endless blessings that the future will hold. A few month’s time pass and harvest time is come. With great joy and expectation he sends his servants. He imagines with affection the vineyard and caretakers he left behind as he waits for his servants to return with joyful news and the profits. He anticipates the joy in sharing the blessing with all who labored with him.

THE END.  ( don’t I wish )

Credits:

Wealthy Farmer: God ..aka ( Abba, Father )

Trusted Farmhands: Me and You

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What a difference it makes to read this story with a softened heart. I have read it both ways.  You immediately connect with the wealthy farmer who is sharing his wealth and his trust with his workers and servants. It is a picture of a thoughtful and loving man, a careful man, a planner, protector, provider. Not a hint of greed or selfishness. There were no posted guards to protect his investment from the untrustworthy help. You want to know this man, be a part of his family. Your sure his children want for nothing. Even to work in his fields would be a blessing.

The people Jesus told this story to were no doubt feeling the same thing. He was opening up their hearts to experience a glimpse of their Father God. His warmth, love, trust and generosity. These people were oppressed in multiple directions. The Romans on one side, the Pharisees and religious leaders on the other. They were starving for a word of hope, longing for salvation to come. This picture of the Father was exactly what their hearts needed.

The story continues…

One dark moonless night back at the vineyard.. a farmhand is persuaded to open the gate to a stranger…

TO BE CONTINUED….

” The Withered Fig Tree”  Matthew 21: 18-20

“18 Early the next morning Jesus was returning to the city. He was hungry.19 Seeing a lone fig tree alongside the road, he approached it anticipating a breakfast of figs. When he got to the tree, there was nothing but fig leaves. He said, “No more figs from this tree-ever!” The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick.20 The disciples saw it happen. They rubbed their eyes, saying, “Did we really see this? A leafy tree one minute, a dry stick the next?”

From a distance the fig tree looked healthy and green, but up close it was fruitless. This scares the bajeebees out of me.

The appearance of success can create the same illusion.  For the most part, I am sure I measure things exactly in this way. I cant help it. I have been taught to measure things this way from childhood on.  Worse yet, I started to believe it about myself.  ” I must be right, look at all this success ! ”  Green leaves on a fruitless tree.

It’s a comb-over or a girdle … you the get the picture. Sellin’ one thing, delivering another. One commentary I read said “the story” with ” the fig tree drama” was about Israel and in part I am sure it was. But for me it’s about my own image management ( Gene’s P.R. firm ) and learning how to identify that same spirit in the culture I live in. Both the world’s culture and the church’s culture. Jesus was clearly addressing both.

The Shock !  The disciples were in awe and shock when the tree instantly withered.  Green leaves one second…. whoosh.. dead, dry stick the next. I think Jesus was also dramatizing the judgement. A fore taste. When it happens, we will all be shocked.

We are the fig tree.  From a distance we look pretty green and leafy. This is especially true if we have some worldly stuff to substantiate our claim. Add in some notoriety, physical attractiveness, an education and charisma. Boom .. your in. Everything is in place. You must have a fruitful tree.

There cant be a more dangerous misconception. The violent and instantaneous nature of ” the withering” is dramatic evidence of the outcome of depending on outward appearances as the validation of fruitfulness. This story is just one of many that warn us of making judgements based on outward appearances. It’s a very dangerous game.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out.10 But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.”

The Antidote.

Psalm 139: 23 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about;24 See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong-then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Late Summer Rain

Like tears of the Father from heaven falling

on an unknowing earth for His children.. the strong summer rain.

Through tears and rain new life is found and nourished.

Then the thunder rolls..

His justice is coming.

Swift and powerful, driven by invisible winds.

A rainbow to follow..

Beauty in light..

a foreshadow of splendor unimagined,

in time unmeasurable,

in Love perfected.

I took this picture while visiting a Cambodian village. This young woman is married. Her husband is off in the city trying to get a job. She is living with her dad. She had just lost a child.

Trouble is relative.. I guess.

Sometimes God wants to do something new….

This is something new for me.. poetry. I have never given poetry much thought. This just happened. I have learned to expect the unexpected when I give myself time to be with God.

Time Cut Short

Father, do not cut short the time.

my days I would shorten, to be with you

and lessen the pain..

but I remember… I am not alone.

The not so distant and distant cries arrive in my ears

at the same time…

They, we are all your children.. you hear everyone.

Tempted to camp in my incompleteness..

It seems departure the better choice

Disappointment to self, to others

to much to bare.

But there they are..

stretched out in both directions

time past and time future

but to you all the same

and I agree with You again..

not one lost who would be saved..

John 15:1-5

1 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer.2 He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more.3 You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.4 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.5 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.

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For  a while now I am been directed to this passage in John. Abide…  The theme keeps reoccurring.. The other day, as I was pondering “Abiding” the thought came to me to visit a local vineyard, Tabor Hill. I had been there once years ago when given a gift certificate from my staff.  I originally thought I would just drive out to the vineyards early in the morning and walk around and take a few pictures. With a little more thought, I realized that would be trespassing. I decided to call first.. decided a lunch trip would be the best decision.. so lunch and a free guided tour became the plan.

A friend of mine, Randy Warren recently produced this video after his first trip to Africa. Randy worked as a producer / director for Willow Creek Community Church for thirteen years. About a year ago he moved to Nuru International.

This is an inspiring look at a timeless question: Why are we so poor ?

Randy provided me with this information about Nuru:

“Nuru International seeks to end extreme poverty in remote rural areas through empowerment in impoverished nations and awareness in the developed world.
We are a holistic, integrated development model that empowers communities to lift themselves out of extreme poverty within five years, and then we exit – leaving behind a completely self-sustaining model that is continuing to scale on its own to empower neighboring communities, districts, and eventually the entire country.

Nuru was founded by former US Marine Jake Harriman. Jake got his MBA from Stanford GSB and researched the past 50 years of humanitarian orgs. A Swahili Professor at Stanford introduced Jake to his brother, Philip Mohochi, who had just recently returned to the community where they grew up. And now Philip is the Chairman of Nuru International – Kenya. He grew up in extreme poverty in Kuria, Kenya, and now leads all of Nuru’s Kenyan staff as they partner together to lift their community out of extreme poverty forever. To learn the answer to Philip’s question, watch this video, produced by in-house Nuru Media Staff.”

Here is a direct link to Nuru.

http://www.nuruinternational.org

A mountain man in India. This man has only heard the name of Jesus in his village for the first time just recently.

This word is for him and for me, for we were all created in His image…

Luke 10:27 “Love the lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.”

Heart: From the deepest place of truth expressed in the inner part of man.. resulting in care of the richest kind with the purest emotion.

Mind: The place of intellect, wisdom and understanding. The place that hungers to learn more about who God is and what He has done and what He has planned. Where we ponder His mighty deeds, the creation and wonder at His beauty, innocence and holiness.

Soul: The sum of your eternal self. The part of you thats hardest to understand because it’s not your flesh, but the image of God in you. The part of you that knows you were made for more than this world has shown you. The part that lies awake in the middle of the night and prays to the Father for all of life to be restored to what it was meant to be in the garden. The part that longs to walk with Him in the cool of the day.

Strength: The hands of action and movement. Putting love into motion.. for the things that God loves, His children. To love Him with all your strength is to let His love move you. It’s to lift the burdens.. and move the obstacles out of way for you and others.

It’s fun to work closely with someone who is really passionate about what they do. Ron is exactly that.. but as intense and seriously as he takes his craft, he knows how to have fun doing it.

Here he is in action.

Everybody loves Ron, he makes everyone feel great and laugh. That’s a great working combination when you are working under the harsh conditions we find ourselves in India.

Proverbs 22:29  Observe people who are good at their work—
skilled workers are always in demand and admired;
they don’t take a back seat to anyone.

It’s cooler here in Chennai today. A cold front with a little rain swept in from the ocean dropping the temperature from 114 degrees yesterday to 86 today. We missed the heat by one day. Raj, our gracious host says the heat has been unbearable.

I guess the cool weather was just the ticket for this guy and created just the right conditions for a nap. The artwork, mountains with sunshine is something you see all over India. Maybe that is what he is dreaming about, sleeping at the base of these artwork mountains.

Just for the record… It did not feel cool to me. The humidity is very high driving the “humiture” well into the 90’s for sure.

Our first shoot starts in 1 hour, the heat of the day.  I think I’ll take a quick nap and dream of Heaven’s mountains and a walk with Jesus in the cool of the day.